Bishnu Dey

Bishnu Dey (1909-1982) was a poet, prose writer, translator, academic and art critic. He completed his BA in English from St. Paul’s Cathedral Mission College, Calcutta and MA in English from the University of Calcutta. In 1935, he joined Ripon College, Calcutta. He subsequently taught at Presidency College, Kolkata (1944-1947), Maulana Azad College, Calcutta (1947-1969). Dey wrote the poetry collection Smriti Satta Bhabishyat which won him the Sahitya Akademi Award in Bengali in 1965 as well as the Jnanpith Award in 1971.

ESSAYS

The Pioneers of art in modern India

by Bishnu Dey

No doubt one should write coolly on the subject of art, but it is difficult to write from an Olympian height on the so-called Bengal School of Art in India, particularly if the writer happens to be a native of Bengal and has spent his life in what has been called the ‘nightmare city of India.’ Like